Comments (12)

I’ve heard a presentation by the doctor that runs the Surgery Center of Oklahoma. It was very impressive! It’s unfathomable that when this center opened and began posting prices, hospitals in Oklahoma City were up in arms! Just imagine: the mere act of actually telling customers the price of their medical procedures in advance of providing the service was anathema to hospital executives. Insurance companies were even skeptical. It’s no wonder; insurers generally view their negotiated discounts as proprietary information. The problem with this view is that without access to prices, enrollees cannot make the best decisions about where to seek care in a setting that could save both patients and health plans money.

The so-called Grand bargain is a bargain only for lawmakers who want to pretend like they are making tough choices and doing something about their fiscal irresponsibility. Current Congress’ cannot tie the hands of future Congresses and force them to live by an agreement made today. Thus, the Grand Bargain will likely raise taxes today and promise to reduce entitlement spending at some future date — at which time a future Congress is free to ignore the agreement.

The more transparent they are with their prices, the more comfortable patients are going to feel with their services and, therefore, they will have more and better business. Do they have anything to lose?

The race-based research on this article is very bizarre. I have come accross several studies like this in the past couple of months and it seems like as times goes by, more and more differences are found regarding health conditions among black individuals and white individuals. It makes me wonder if the quality of care provided to the two groups differs based on their race, or if it’s simply a genetic condition that can’t be prevented.

“It is unrealistic to think that Congress could negotiate a far-reaching fiscal “grand bargain” during its brief lame-duck session this winter. Lawmakers’ first order of business, then, should be to postpone all elements of the Jan. 1 fiscal cliff—spending cuts, revenue increases and the debt limit—for three months, until March 31″

Several studies like this in the past couple of months and it seems like as times goes by, more and more differences are found regarding health conditions among black individuals and white individuals.